Light-weight utility trailers, such as boat trailers and the like, have a number of components positioned at the front of the trailer, which enable the cooperative function of the trailer and an associated tow vehicle. A tongue assembly and a coupler are commonly included among such components. The trailer may also (although not necessarily) include an actuator. The tongue assembly has a rear section, which is mounted to a front section of the trailer, and a front section, which extends away from the trailer. The coupler is mounted to the front section of the tongue assembly. If included, the optional actuator is also mounted to the tongue assembly.
The actuator is designed to actuate the brakes of the trailer in response to braking commands from the tow vehicle. The coupler is designed to couple with a hitch mounted on a rear section of the motorized tow vehicle, such as an automobile, sport utility vehicle, light truck, or the like. The hitch is typically a ball-shaped male member and the coupler is typically a bowl-shaped female member, which is configured to releasably receive the hitch. The coupler and hitch cooperatively enable a user to selectively engage the tow vehicle with the trailer for the purpose of towing the trailer and its contents to a desired location. The coupler and hitch also cooperatively enable a user to selectively disengage the tow vehicle from the trailer for the purpose of using the tow vehicle for motorized transport independent of the trailer, while storing the trailer and its contents at a desired location.
Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary conventional prior art tongue assembly for a trailer is shown and generally designated 10. The prior art tongue assembly 10 has a sectional construction with a rear section 11 and a front section 12. The rear section 11 has a rear end 13 and a front end 14. The front section 12 similarly has a rear end 15 and a front end 16. The terms “front” and “rear” are used herein to describe the relative position of components of a trailer, wherein “rear” is closer to the main body of the trailer and farther from a tow vehicle associated with the trailer. “Front” is farther from the main body of the trailer and closer to the tow vehicle. The terms “top” and “bottom” are used herein to describe the relative position of components of a trailer with respect to the ground surface supporting the trailer and the associated tow vehicle, wherein “bottom” is closer to the ground surface and “top” is farther from the ground surface.
The rear and front sections 11, 12 of the tongue assembly 10 have a four-sided tubular construction, which encloses an open interior and defines a square or rectangular cross section. The rear and front sections 11, 12 are permanently joined together end-to-end at a fixed joint 17 by welding or other such fixing means so that the front end 14 of the rear section 11 is integral with the rear end 15 of the front section 12. Accordingly, the tongue assembly 10 is functionally a single unitary member having a fixed rigid character.
A coupler 18 and an optional actuator 19 are also shown in FIG. 1, which are associated with the tongue assembly 10. The coupler 18 extends from the front end 16 of the front section 12 of the tongue assembly 10 so that the coupler 18 is accessible to a hitch mounted on a tow vehicle (not shown). The coupler 18 is fixably attached or connected to the front section 12 by welding, bolting or other such conventional means so that the front section 12 supports the coupler 18. The optional actuator 19 is positioned behind the coupler 18, housed within the front section 12 of the tongue assembly 10. The actuator 19 is fixably attached to the front section 12 by actuator fasteners 20, which extend from the exterior into the interior of the front section 12 via front section apertures 21. An access port 22 is also provided in the front section 12 to enable the user to access the actuator 19. The configuration of a representative prior art front section, coupler and actuator is shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 320,777 to Goettker, incorporated herein by reference.
The rear section 11 of the tongue assembly 10 is mounted to a front section of the trailer 23. The front section of the trailer 23 has an “A” configuration with a first diagonal support 24, a second diagonal support 25, and a crossbar 26. The crossbar 26 extends between the first and second diagonal supports 24, 25 and is fixably attached thereto. The first and second diagonal supports 24, 25 converge and engage opposite lateral sides of the rear section 11 forward of the rear end 13. The rear end 13 extends rearward to engage the crossbar, 26. The first and second diagonal supports 24, 25 are permanently joined to the opposite lateral sides of the rear section 11 by welding or other such fixing means and the rear end 13 is similarly permanently joined to the crossbar 26.
It is common for the tongue assembly 10 to extend a substantial extension length from the front section of the trailer 23. The extension length is defined by the sum of the lengths of the front section 12 of the tongue assembly 10 and the exposed coupler 18. An exemplary extension length is typically on the order of about 1 to 3 feet.
The extension length provides adequate clearance between the rear of the associated tow vehicle and the front section of the trailer 23 and/or the contents of the trailer, which may extend beyond the front section of the trailer 23, such as the bow of a boat being carried by the trailer. Although the extension length is relatively small compared to the entire length of the trailer, the extension length is often the difference by which the trailer fits or does not fit into a size-restricted storage location, such as a garage. Accordingly, it is advantageous for a trailer to have a tongue assembly which is selectively displacable so that the trailer can be stored in tight fitting locations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,871 to Rowland et al. discloses a sectional tongue assembly for a boat trailer, which has an external hinge selectively rotatably connecting the rear and front sections of the tongue assembly. When the tongue assembly of Rowland et al. is in the operational position, the trailer is at its full length with the tongue and associated coupler extended in front of the trailer. A positioning pin is also maintained in the hinge when the tongue assembly of Rowland et al. is in the operational position. The positioning pin effectively locks the hinge, thereby preventing rotational displacement of the front section of the tongue assembly relative to the trailer and the rear section of tongue assembly. When it is desired to transition the tongue assembly from the operational position to the storage position, the positioning pin is initially withdrawn from the hinge and the front section of the tongue assembly and associated coupler are pivoted about the hinge until the front section is in overlapping alignment with the trailer and the rear section of tongue assembly. When the tongue assembly of Rowland et al. is in the storage position, the trailer has a reduced length which corresponds to the overall length of the trailer minus the combined length of the front section of the tongue assembly and the exposed coupler.
It is apparent that the tongue assembly of Rowland et al. desirably reduces the length of the trailer for storage, while maintaining the trailer at full length for operation. Nevertheless, the structure of the hinge of the tongue assembly of Rowland et al. is not entirely satisfactory. In particular, the hinge is disadvantageously external to the tongue assembly. Accordingly, operation of the external hinge is subject to interference from environmental factors such as precipitation, corrosion, and dirt. Operation of the external hinge is also subject to interference from structures which may inadvertently come into contact with the hinge during use. In addition, fabrication of the external hinge requires substantial modifications to the external structure of a conventional tongue assembly. Accordingly, the external hinge of Rowland et al. is not readily adaptable to after-market or retrofit applications. Furthermore, from an appearance standpoint, the external hinge of Rowland et al. adds considerable bulk to the profile of the tongue assembly in comparison to the sleek profile of the prior art hinge-free tongue assembly, which has broad consumer acceptance.
The present invention recognizes a need for an improved hinge for a tongue assembly, which overcomes the above-recited drawbacks of the prior art hinge of Rowland et al. Therefore, it is generally an object of the present invention to provide a tongue assembly, which effectively enables a user to reduce the length of the trailer for storage, while maintaining the trailer at full length for operation. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a tongue assembly, which employs an internal hinge to effectively enable a user to reduce the length of the trailer for storage, while maintaining the trailer at full length for operation. Still more particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a tongue assembly. having an internal hinge, which reduces the susceptibility of the hinge to interference from environmental factors during operation. It is another object of the present invention to provide such a tongue assembly having an internal hinge, which reduces the susceptibility of the hinge to interference from structures which may inadvertently come into contact with the hinge during use. It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a tongue assembly having an internal hinge, which is readily adaptable to after-market or retrofit applications. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a tongue assembly having an internal hinge, which resembles a hinge-free tongue assembly in appearance.
These objects and others are accomplished in accordance with the invention described hereafter.